San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-29


Wounds Operators William and
Henry Kennedy.
About 10 O'Clock last night the quiet.
ude Of Commerce street was broken by
several loud pistol shots fred In rapid
succession. Many parties ran TO the
spot Indicated by the sound, and found
that the shooting had occurred In the
Western Union telegraph office. Fur
Their investigation revealed the fact that
one operator named j. II. Armstrong,
had shot two brothers named Will ..
and Henry II. Kennedy, operators, en-
plOyed in the same office.
ENDURING into the cause, manner
| and result OF the shooting, q LIGHT re-
porter learned that there was no known
cause beyond the crankiness Of the
shoOtist. 1t seems that on the 18th, j.
II. Armstrong reported to Manager
Newton for duty, having been sent there
from Cuero by the general managers
order. and he was put at the CONNER
cial wire. His conduct was always
strange. and he was disliked and some
what feared. At night Armstrong told
Manager Newton that he thought he
would leave off work and kill a few
operators. Mr.. Newton paid no at
tention TO the remarks believing that IL
was simply a Joke. He lOunged around
the Office for some time afterwards, had
rough alteration with a messenger
boy and then went away. About 10
O'Clock will O and Henry Fl. Kennedy
were In the office. viii was reading
paper having his back towards the door,
and Henry was taking press despatch
es. Armstrong entered but no particu-
lar attention was paid to him. He
leaned on the counter, and gazed pecul-
A. hn
round as II going out into the street
again. All OF sudden he faced
round and drawing revolver
from his belt he fired at Will
Kennedy, just as Henry, who
saw the movement, cried "look
out, he is going to shoot" This warn
ing came to late. and Will fell from hiG
seat wounded. Henry at once made for
the back door, when Armstrong fired
three shots at him, and one OF the bull
lets caught him In the back, and he fell.
Armstrong walked off calmly, but when
he was opposite Haas Il Oppenheimer's
store. Policeman Frank Brown, who was
pursuing, came up and asked whether
he was the man who did the shooting.
He replied 'Ofcourse. Iam," whereupon
Brown arrested and conveyed him to
the police headquarters. On being
that he wore belt having
twenty cartridges in it, and at
tqched In scabbord was one Of Colts
As calibre, short-barrelled revolvers. A
long, sharp bowie-knife was also stuck
In the belt He WAS jailed here tempo
rsrily and afterwards transferred to the
county Jail. While under arrest he was
perfectly calm and talked nationally of
what he had done.
Medical aid WAS called for the wound
ed men, and then it WAS found that
Henry, who was in recumbent position
when shot. was more seriously
wounded from the lower point OF the
right shoulder to the back Of
the neck, just below the base of the
skull, where the ball is located, and had
lost much blood, but Will had only been
shot through the fleshy part of the arm.
The latter is in no danger, but Henry's
injuries are serious.
In conversation with Manager New
ton, this morning, he said that he had
heard from both men and
seen the doctor and that what
he heard indicated that the Kenne-
dys were out OF all danger. They
were sober, estimable hOys, and first
class operators. Henry had worked for
him before and came here from Chicago
six months ago, and Will had only been
here a month. Both were raised at
Jackson, Michigan. Armstrong was
what wSs known rs a ''plug" oper-
atOr and he had already re-
quested his removal He believed
Armstrong was perft city sane and
had shot the boys from pure cuss-
edness. In the melee two Instruments
bad been destroyed. He did not believe
ha KnpnaHuc hal
any quarrel and was hardly likely to do
so, as they were Off duty at different
times and did not board at the same
place. Yesterday Armstrong had been
lighting over the wires" with Calves
ton, from which place he had been dis
charged for incOmpetency, and had got
mad. At night he spoke to me and
said 81 think I'll resign and kill
few operators that are against me-"
He got that idea beoarse he
had considerable trouble through
his incOmpetency. | said "all right,
YOU have perfect right to resign" and
| confess hoped that he would do so,
but | ignored the other part of the
threat, thinking it meaningless. That
is all | can tell you Just now"
The would be.murderer was seen this
morning in Jail and the opinion OF the
rective Hughes, however, has different
opinion. He said that he shot the Ken
nedys because they could not take the
press report right and were pervertiDg
them" He thought he would get out
today. At present he has retained no
lawyer He was born in Mississippi, Is
% years old, and is unmarried. He came
from CuerO, where his brother now re-
sides
On the outside two accounts are given
as to the cause of shooting which are
not verified First that Armstrong was
maddened by the Galveston operator
and was"guyed"by the boys in reference
TO his ability, appearance and girl at
Fort Alias; another says that there had
been a quarrel between the boys before
they came TO the city. Both these state
ments are denied by Manager Newton.
The Babies Cry for It
And the Old folks laugh when they find tina
the pleasant California liquid fruit remedy,
Syrup of Figs, is more easily taken and more
beneficial in its action than hitter